PRESIDENT MARY McAleese has described as “heroic” the response of the emergency services to the unprecedented flooding that caused about €100 million worth of damage in Cork last month.
President McAleese addressed representatives of the various agencies involved in the crisis as she paid a courtesy visit yesterday morning to Cork City Hall.
Mrs McAleese expressed her gratitude to emergency workers who laboured around the clock.
She also visited the Share housing project for the elderly near Cork city centre, where she spoke to householders who had to be evacuated during the flooding of November 20th.
The President then travelled to Bandon to visit householders and businesses affected by the flooding.
The President, accompanied by her husband, Dr Martin McAleese, said the response of the emergency services was “outstanding”. “We’ve come here today to say a million thanks to all the people who spontaneously did so brilliantly during that terrible inundation, that awful moment of crisis.”
President McAleese urged members of the public to donate to charities helping those affected.
“The people of Cork need no encouragement, they are goodness personified,” the President said. People were “tripping over themselves” to help, she added. “Nature gave her worst, and human nature gave her best.”
Mrs McAleese said she hoped insurance companies would help ease the suffering of flood victims by quickly processing outstanding claims.
“One of the important things for so many people is those who are insured that the insurance companies would deal with them well and fluently and not add to the trauma that they are already suffering. I know the insurance companies are doing their best.”
Elderly people who live in purpose-built Share housing units at Sheares Street yesterday recounted the events when they had to be evacuated from their homes.
Pensioner John Hallihan woke in the early hours of November 20th and realised his house was starting to flood. He alerted two neighbours as the “water was rising and rising all the time. The water came in a good foot in to the yard and into the house. It destroyed everything.”
Neighbour William O’Grady said: “It was brutal. When you see a boat going up outside your door and see people inside of it, it was unbelievable. The dirty smell of the water was wicked.”
Mrs McAleese will visit Claregalway, Gort, Ennis and Ballinasloe today before finishing her tour in Athlone.